[{"command":"settings","settings":{"ajaxPageState":{"theme":"hm_theme","theme_token":"5PijqXmYggNttgUwiKPfqbjfS4G1JmahmIf8Oy2-lKs","libraries":"eJwDAAAAAAE"},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"form_action_p_pvdeGsVG5zNF_XLGPTvYSKCf43t8qZYSwcfZl2uzM":true},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"2af85631393b514cbde3779a1f71d92618d53b94b54ea1960d28b2e2d121ff12"}},"merge":true},{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/5817\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA quantum leap in computing\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputer scientists, mathematicians and physicists hope that by harnessing the world of quantum mechanics they can make a major step forward in computing power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe citation for the 2012 Nobel Prize for Physics pointed to quantum computing possibly holding out the prospect of transforming our lives in this century as much as ordinary computers did in the last.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe aim is to make previously insurmountable problems more manageable. \u2018The great attraction is that quantum computers would be able to solve certain problems much faster than classical computers,\u2019 said Prof. Andris Ambainis from the University of Latvia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019s a radically new way of computing, and it\u2019s the only new way of computing that provides speed-ups by orders of magnitude,\u2019 said Prof. Ambainis, who coordinates the Quantum Computer Science (QCS) consortium, an EU-funded collaboration of eight research teams working on quantum computing problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers in the QCS consortium are working to identify the kinds of problems best suited to quantum handling, and how to tackle them. Among their fields of focus are sophisticated methods of quantum cryptography \u2013 ways to ensure that secret communication really is safe. The teams are also looking at new methods for quantum algorithms, to ensure the radically different computing technology solves problems in the most efficient way to deliver the massive increases in speed it promises.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Ambainis said that given the physical sensitivity of many of the processes involved in quantum computing, it is clear that quantum computers would not suit every situation. And it could be that they will remain the size of a room, though their power keeps being increased.\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018The great attraction is that quantum computers would be able to solve certain problems much faster than classical computers.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProf. Andris Ambainis, University of Latvia\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The hope is that we would add more qubits (quantum pieces of information). We would have devices that are of the same size as their current implementations, or perhaps somewhat smaller, but that there would be more qubits and more computational power,\u2019 Prof. Ambainis said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next steps forward for the hardware will depend on which of the possible technologies proves most feasible for building the devices and then scaling them up to sizes where they can take on processing power that overtakes the number-crunching abilities of classical computers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Ambainis believes it could take five to 10 years to develop quantum computers that could simulate quantum mechanical processes, allowing physicists to discover more about the fundamentals that cannot be studied using current approaches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt could take a couple more decades to reach the stage where quantum computers harness enough qubits to perform other significant mathematical tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike classical digital computing, quantum computing\u0026nbsp;is a joint effort of hardware and software, but its way of working differs fundamentally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrdinary computers process information by switching electric current on (1) or off (0), using semiconductor switches known as transistors to make sequences of binary digits or \u2018bits\u2019. The switches are combined to perform operations of basic logic, which are in turn harnessed together to carry out the necessary computation, such as finding the factors of a large number.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn quantum computing, the 0 and 1 are encoded into what is known as a quantum state. Manipulating that quantum state then performs the computation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1 and 0 simultaneously\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn atom can simultaneously have different energy states, or a photon of light may have multiple polarisations. These energy states or polarisations can also encode 0 and 1. So, with quantum computers the switch does not change from on to off, but between different quantum states. In addition to 0 and 1, quantum systems can be in a number of intermediate states. That means that a qubit, can in fact encode 1 and 0 simultaneously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECombining qubits means they can be superimposed on one another, making all of the possible states work together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen, if an operation is performed on one part of the superposition, it affects the whole arrangement, effectively making a processor that increases exponentially in power with the number of qubits being combined.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022img_legend\u0022 style=\u0022float: left;\u0022\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Professor Andris Ambainis from the University of Latvia. \u00a9 Toms Gr\u012bnbergs, LU Press center \u0022 height=\u0022133\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/HO-Quantum-Ambairis-IMG_9632_1.JPG\u0022 title=\u0022Professor Andris Ambainis from the University of Latvia. \u00a9 Toms Gr\u012bnbergs, LU Press center \u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EProfessor Andris Ambainis from the University of Latvia. \u00a9 Toms Gr\u012bnbergs, LU Press center\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003Cem\u003EProfessor Andris Ambainis from the University of Latvia. \u00a9 Toms Gr\u012bnbergs, LU Press center\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EPhysicists around the world are working on several different technologies for developing qubits, and the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics went to two researchers whose work allows measurement and manipulation of individual photons or ions at the quantum level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESystems under consideration include lattices of atoms arranged with lasers; the interactions of photons trapped in cavities where atoms are passed through; and nuclear spin manipulated with magnetic fields, among other possibilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, whatever the combination of charged atoms, lasers or magnetic fields, the challenge is in scaling up without destroying essential quantum attributes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuantum computers could take several decades to achieve the necessary levels of sophistication to operate as general, universal computers, rather than the specialised quantum systems already on the market. Even then, the approach will not be appropriate for all situations and many tasks will still rely on classical computing, though with incremental improvements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technological challenges are undeniable in building the quantum computers of the future, but the computer scientists and mathematicians are determined to work out how best to employ them, since their way of working is so different from classical methods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch on algorithms for quantum computers by members of the QCS consortium is also resulting in new ways of analysing existing technology \u2013 such as conventional computing \u2013 and how it can be improved. Spin-offs of this process are likely to find their way into the device on your desk or in your hand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-uo6gfgosoekyhaqo-okefklebji2tjm5d0tixwysl2g\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-uo6GfGOsoEKyhaqO_okefkLEbJi2tjM5d0TiXwysL2g\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]